Automatic needle mover

Abstract

An automatic needle mover for moving a medical threaded needle includes: two shafts extending in the same direction and slidable relative to each other along a longitudinal direction; a needle-holding portion provided on one end side of the second shaft; a needle-receiving portion provided on one end side of the first shaft; and a handle serving as a control portion for controlling the sliding of the two shafts. The needle-holding portion has a first claw portion protruding in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the shafts. The needle-receiving portion has a second claw portion protruding in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the shafts. As a result of the sliding of the two shafts, the needle-holding portion and the needle-receiving portion become close to each other and a straight needle held by the needle-holding portion can be press-fitted into the needle-receiving portion.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An automatic needle mover for moving a medical threaded needle including a straight needle and a thread connected to the straight needle, the automatic needle mover comprising:
 two shafts extending in a same direction and slidable relative to each other along a longitudinal direction; 
 a needle-holding portion provided on one end side of a first shaft as one of the two shafts; 
 a needle-receiving portion provided on one end side of a second shaft as the other shaft of the two shafts; and 
 a control portion for controlling the sliding of the two shafts, the control portion being provided on a side opposite the needle-holding portion and the needle-receiving portion when viewed in the longitudinal direction, 
 wherein the needle-holding portion has a first claw portion protruding in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the first shaft in an end portion of the first shaft and a first groove portion provided in the first claw portion and including a region having a width smaller than a diameter of the straight needle and larger than a diameter of the thread, 
 the needle-receiving portion has a second claw portion protruding in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the second shaft in an end portion of the second shaft and a second groove portion provided in the second claw portion and having a width at which the straight needle can be inserted by elasticity of the second claw portion and the straight needle can be held by friction with the straight needle when the straight needle is inserted along the longitudinal direction, and 
 the needle-holding portion and the needle-receiving portion become close to each other and the straight needle held by the needle-holding portion can be press-fitted into the needle-receiving portion as a result of the sliding of the two shafts. 
 
     
     
       2. The automatic needle mover according to  claim 1 , wherein the needle-receiving portion is farther from the control portion than the needle-holding portion along the longitudinal direction of the two shafts. 
     
     
       3. The automatic needle mover according to  claim 2 , wherein the second groove portion has a narrow portion when viewed along the longitudinal direction. 
     
     
       4. The automatic needle mover according to  claim 1 , wherein the needle-receiving portion is closer to the control portion than the needle-holding portion along the longitudinal direction of the two shafts. 
     
     
       5. The automatic needle mover according to  claim 1 , wherein the needle-receiving portion has a pair of corner portions formed by an end surface of the second claw portion on a side where the straight needle is inserted, an angle of the end surface abutting against the straight needle being 90° or an acute angle in a plan view. 
     
     
       6. The automatic needle mover according to  claim 1 , wherein the two shafts are connected by a link member provided at both ends with a third shaft serving as an axis for pivoting with respect to the first shaft and a fourth shaft serving as an axis for pivoting with respect to the second shaft, and the needle-receiving portion moves in a substantially circular arc-shaped trajectory with respect to the needle-holding portion as a result of the sliding of the first shaft and the second shaft. 
     
     
       7. The automatic needle mover according to  claim 1 , wherein the needle-receiving portion and the needle-holding portion are pivotable about a pivot shaft as an axis, the pivot shaft being provided in the end portions of the two shafts on a side where the needle-receiving portion and the needle-holding portion are provided and extending in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction, and a positional relationship between the needle-receiving portion and the needle-holding portion along the longitudinal direction of the two shafts is reversed as a result of the pivoting about the pivot shaft as an axis.